Supporting RAAC Research with C-DICE Secondments

C-DICE is delighted to offer two new secondment opportunities for postdoctoral researchers to apply their skills in an industrial context to explore Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), in the wake of the recent news items warning of school buildings in England being at risk of collapse.

Experts from Loughborough University have been studying RAAC for several years, undertaking projects funded by the NHS on RAAC in hospitals, and advising the Department for Education and other top-level Governmental bodies on the risks associated with the material and how best to manage these. They key message from academics based in Loughborough University’s world-leading Construction Management and Structures and Materials research groups, in the wake of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) crisis was that the world needs to learn how to live with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, and C-DICE is assisting them in providing the research-based answers on how to do this.

The two secondment opportunities available are:

RAAC Monitoring with Everyware

Everyware is seeking a suitable candidate to join their Technical Development team to help develop a digital RAAC data capture tool for mitigating risk and proactively monitoring their RAAC panels. In this role, you will define requirements and specify a suite of RAAC-monitoring tools, develop some key features of the RAAC toolset, and work closely with academic researchers, technologists and teams within the NHS responsible for managing and looking after RAAC.

This opportunity is in the form of a three-month industrial secondment (with a potential job offer at the end of the secondment) for postdoctoral researchers in software development, with an interest in sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT).

AI in Infrastructure Engineering with Imfuna

C-DICE and Imfuna are offering a three-month secondment for postdoctoral researchers that will play a part in bridging academic research into RAAC with practical AI solutions, to enhance the safety, sustainability, and longevity of buildings with RAAC structures. This opportunity is ideal for postdoctoral researchers with a background in engineering, computer science or a related field with demonstrated expertise in AI algorithm development (deep learning, reinforcement learning, or natural language processing).

Successful completion of this secondment can open doors for further collaboration with Imfuna, potentially leading to full-time roles or other advanced research opportunities.